SB 10.67.14-15 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.67.14-15

तं ग्राव्णा प्राहरत् क्रुद्धो बल: प्रहरतां वर: । स वञ्चयित्वा ग्रावाणं मदिराकलशं कपि: ॥ १४ ॥ गृहीत्वा हेलयामास धूर्तस्तं कोपयन् हसन् । निर्भिद्य कलशं दुष्टो वासांस्यास्फालयद् बलम् । कदर्थीकृत्य बलवान् विप्रचक्रे मदोद्धत: ॥ १५ ॥

taṁ grāvṇā prāharat kruddho

[tam graavnaa praaharat kruddho]

balaḥ praharatāṁ varaḥ

[balah praharataam varah]

sa vañcayitvā grāvāṇaṁ

[sa vanchayitvaa graavaanam]

madirā-kalaśaṁ kapiḥ

[madiraa-kalasham kapih]

gṛhītvā helayām āsa

[griheetvaa helayaam aasa]

dhūrtas taṁ kopayan hasan

[dhoortas tam kopayan hasan]

nirbhidya kalaśaṁ duṣṭo

[nirbhidya kalasham dushto]

vāsāṁsy āsphālayad balam

[vaasaamsy aasphaalayad balam]

kadarthī-kṛtya balavān

[kadarthee-kritya balavaan]

vipracakre madoddhataḥ

[viprachakre madoddhatah]

Word-for-word

tam — at him, Dvivida grāvṇā — a rock prāharat — threw kruddhaḥ — angry balaḥ — Lord Balarāma praharatām — of throwers of weapons varaḥ — the best saḥ — he, Dvivida vañcayitvā — avoiding grāvāṇam — the rock madirā — of liquor kalaśam — the pot kapiḥ — the ape gṛhītvā — seizing helayām āsa — made fun of dhūrtaḥ — the rascal tam — Him, Lord Balarāma kopayan — angering hasan — laughing nirbhidya — breaking kalaśam — the pot duṣṭaḥ — wicked vāsāṁsi — the garments (of the girls) āsphālayat — he pulled at balam — Lord Balarāma kadarthīkṛtya — disrespecting bala - vān — powerful vipracakre — he insulted mada — by false pride uddhataḥ — puffed up .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

taṁ grāvṇā prāharat kruddho

tam

at him, Dvivida

grāvṇā

a rock

prāharat

threw

kruddhaḥ

angry

balaḥ praharatāṁ varaḥ

balaḥ

Lord Balarāma

praharatām

of throwers of weapons

varaḥ

the best

sa vañcayitvā grāvāṇaṁ

saḥ

he, Dvivida

vañcayitvā

avoiding

grāvāṇam

the rock

madirā-kalaśaṁ kapiḥ

madirā

of liquor

kalaśam

the pot

kapiḥ

the ape

gṛhītvā helayām āsa

gṛhītvā

seizing

helayām āsa

made fun of

dhūrtas taṁ kopayan hasan

dhūrtaḥ

the rascal

tam

Him, Lord Balarāma

kopayan

angering

hasan

laughing

nirbhidya kalaśaṁ duṣṭo

nirbhidya

breaking

kalaśam

the pot

duṣṭaḥ

wicked

vāsāṁsy āsphālayad balam

vāsāṁsi

the garments (of the girls)

āsphālayat

he pulled at

balam

Lord Balarāma

kadarthī-kṛtya balavān

kadarthīkṛtya

disrespecting

bala - vān

powerful

vipracakre madoddhataḥ

vipracakre

he insulted

mada

by false pride

uddhataḥ

puffed up .

Important Words

praharatām-varaḥ — the best of those who strike (with weapons)
Compound: praharatām (gen. pl. of those who strike) + varaḥ (best). Balarāma is the supreme yoddhā among the Yadus; the title is set up just before His provocation, so the asura's later destruction has its grammatical inevitability.
madirā-kalaśam — the pot of liquor
Compound: madirā (liquor, here vāruṇī) + kalaśa (pot). Breaking the Lord's kalaśa is not merely theft; in śāstra a kalaśa is an emblem of fullness, abundance, auspiciousness. The asura specifically attacks pūrṇatā.
vāsāṁsi-āsphālayat — he pulled at the garments
Āsphālayat — caus. of √sphal/sphāḷ (to flap, jerk). The same vastra-harāṇa pattern Duḥśāsana attempts on Draupadī in MBh — Gauḍīyas read it as the asuric reflex against the dignity of those who belong to Bhagavān, always inviting His direct intervention.
kadarthīkṛtya — disrespecting, treating as worthless
Compound denominative: kad-artha (of low value) + kṛ. Lit. "making into trash." The asura's worldview cannot register Bhagavān as Bhagavān; everything must be reduced. SB names this faculty precisely.
mada-uddhataḥ — puffed up with false pride
Compound: mada (intoxication / pride) + uddhata (puffed up). Echoes mada-vihvala of v.10, but contrastingly: Balarāma's mada is rasa-mada; Dvivida's mada is ahaṅkāra-mada. Same word, opposite substance.

Angered, Lord Balarāma, the best of fighters, hurled a rock at him, but the cunning ape dodged the rock and grabbed the Lord’s pot of liquor. Further infuriating Lord Balarāma by laughing and by ridiculing Him, wicked Dvivida then broke the pot and offended the Lord even more by pulling at the girls’ clothing. Thus the powerful ape, puffed up with false pride, continued to insult Śrī Balarāma.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Angered, Lord Balarāma, the best of fighters, hurled a rock at him, but the cunning ape dodged the rock and grabbed the Lord's pot of liquor. Further infuriating Lord Balarāma by laughing and by ridiculing Him, wicked Dvivida then broke the pot and offended the Lord even more by pulling at the girls' clothing. Thus the powerful ape, puffed up with false pride, continued to insult Śrī Balarāma.

Commentary

He disrespected the gopis (helayam asa) by moving his eyebrows, by standing directly in front of them, and by his style of walking and gestures. He disrespected Balarama by not even glancing at him. He pulled the gopis’ garments from the beds and ripped them. In this way he insulted them.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

He made Balarāma angry by laughing at him. Or he made Balarāma angry, and on seeing his anger, laughed. He further offended Balarāma, though Balarāma had more strength. He continually harassed the women because he was ill-behaved (uddhata) from pride. He behaved improperly because he was strong (balavān). Another meaning of uddhata as a pun is “extremely defeated.”

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Though Balarām was the best among fighters because of his strength, and though angry, he struck the ape with a rock, not his club, because of the ape’s previous bhakti. The ape’s bad behavior is described. Quickly the ape avoided the rock and attacked. The rascal made Balarāma angry and laughed at him. The ape was wicked because he pulled the clothing of the women. He insulted Balarāma who had the greatest strength (balam) since he was completely overcome by pride. This was because he was strong.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)

Related lectures

UM SB 10-67-14-16 - 2024-11-19 ISKCON Vrindavan
Her Grace Urmila Mataji· 2024-11-19· English
UM SB 10-67-14-16 - Anger - 2024-11-19 Vrindavan - New
Her Grace Urmila Mataji· 2024-11-19· English

Personal Guidance

Balarāma hurls a rock; the ape dodges and laughs. Sometimes the first divine warning is missed because the offender is too pleased with himself to register it.

Reflection Questions

What gentle correction from God have I dodged and laughed off?
What 'rock' is being thrown right now that I should let land?

Analogy

A drunkard mocks the king, breaks the king's cup, and tugs at the queen's robe — every escalating gesture is calculated to draw the sword. The asura's tactics are the inversion of bhakti's: bhakti seeks to be near Him by serving, asura by offending. Both reach Him.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io